Allen a



A. A. WILLIAMS.

0F AUTOMOBILES, 6m. 19.

APPLICATION FILED APR. l0, l9

Patented July 8, 1919.

ALLEN A. WILLIAMS, 0F LOVELOCK, NEBRASKA.

ATTACHMENT FOR OPERATING ACCELERATORS 0F AUTOMOBILES, 8w.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 8, 1919.

Application filed April 10, 1919. Serial No. 289,072.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALLEN A. WILLIAMS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lovelock, in the county of Humboldt and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Attach ments for Operating Accelerators of Automobiles, &c.; and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification;

. This invention is a novel attachment for use in automobiles to assist the'driver in controlling the accelerator. In automobiles the engine is usually provided with a fuel supply valve that is operatively connected with a lever 0r rod which projects into the machine within reach of the operators foot so that he can by slight pressure of his foot on such accelerator cause an increased supply of fuel to the engine when he desires to increase the speed or power of the machine; varying the supply by varying the pressure upon said accelerator.

The accelerator as ordinarily constructed is or iron and becomes very hot when the machine is used for a long time; rendering it very uncomfortable for the operator and frequently causing foot trouble when driving a long distance or a long period of time without stopping. Furthermore, the drivers foot is apt. to be jarred off the lever on rough roads, and to present this he has to keep his foot in a more or less cramped or rigid position and under tension'in order to keep it in contact withthe accelerator.

The object of my invention is to provide an attachment which will prevent the transmission of heat from the accelerator to the foot of the driver; lessen wear on the drivers shoe; provide a firm brace for the foot; and support the weight of the drivers leg comfortably; and relieve his foot and leg ofcramping strains, and enable him to maintain easy control of the accelerator for long periods of time without having his foot become unduly heated, or cramped, and without liability of his foot being jarred out of control of the accelerator on rough roads, and to enable the operator to feed the gas steadily when driving over rough roads without having to resort to the hand control.

The invention consists in the novel attachtom of the vehicle adjacent the ac clerator by any suitable means, such as bolts 1 passed through openings in the portion 1. This member can be readily secured in the machine at a point most comfortable for the driver, as indicated in Fig. 2, when seated in the car. At the front end of this base 1 1 portion 1 is an upstanding member or standard 1*, preferably formed integral with the base 1 and provided on its upper edge with hinge pintles 1 between which is pivotally secured the accelerator operating pedal.

This accelerator operating pedal is preferably made of metal, and comprises a heel portion 3, a shank portion 4. and a head or presser portion 5; all preferably formed integral or rigidly connected.

The heel portion 3 of the pedal is preferably in a plane below the shank portion 4, and is connected with the rear end of the shank portion by an upstanding flange or part f, which at its junction with the shank portion is provided with a perforation for the passage of the hinge pin 2; the part 3 forms the hinge member of the pedal and is fitted between the pintles 2 of the standard, and supports the heel portion 3 in a plane below the pin 2, and the shank portion 4 and head 5 being preferably in a plane somewhat above the heel portion.

The upper surface of the complete pedal approximately conforms to the under surface of the shoe of the operator, which rests thereupon as indicated in dotted lines, Fig. 2, so that the weight of the foot upon the pedal is borne by the heel and the head portions thereof and no direct pressure is exerted on the shank or arch of the foot.

The heel portion 3 is also provided with an upstanding flange 3 at its rear end,

adapted to engage the rear end of the heel 5 pressed portion 3, adjacent the flange 3 approx'imately. conforming to the shape of.

the lower part of the heel of a womans shoe, so that when, the accelerator pedal is used by a woman, the heel of her shoe will engage the recess and her foot be thereby easily retained in osition on the pedal.

The shan portion 4 is preferably slightly curved downwardly adjacent hinge pln 2, and then projects forward to the head 5, so 15. that it Will not cause anypressure upon the shank of the shoe or arch of the foot of the operator. The shank is also preferably narrow so as not to interfere with the operation of the b *ak lever.

The.presser head '5 is of suflicient size, and preferably circular, to insure its engagement .With the accelerator, and also to afford a substantial surface contact or hearing for the sole of the operators shoe.

25 My presser head is preferably provided with a heat insulating plate 5" of wood, or other suitable material; and with a surface wear-plate 5 of rubber, or other suitable material, to contact with the sole of the shoe. The metal head 5 itself forms a metal wearplate contacting with the accelerator.

The presser head is so positioned rela tively to the heel and shank portions of the pedal that it will fit neatly under the sole of the drivers shoe, as indicated in Fig. 2.

The support 1l is secured to the floor of the automobile or vehicle in rear of and adjacent to the accelerator which is adapted to be depressed by the foot of the driver, and in some cases has a metal disk or hcad 4 on its end to be engaged by the foot. of the driver. This accelerator becomes hot, when used continuously for sometime and is apt to burn the shoe'in contact thcrewitl1,'aml nncomfortabl y heat the foot of the driver; but when my attachmentis properly securcd adjacent to and in rear of the accelerator the head 5 will rest lightly upon the accelerator, and the operator can easily control the accelerator by rocking his foot slightly or pressing upon the head 5, and his foot is protected from the heated accelerator and kept cool by the non-heat conductor plate 5 on the presser head.

As shown the hcc of the operator rests upon the plate 3 and presses against the standard 1, as indicated in Fig. 2; and the standard 1 provides a firm support for the pedal and. a brace-against which the front of the drivers hcelbcars, and this gives the driver a stcady control of the accelerator even on rough roads. The standard 1 riscs in front of the heel of the shoe, and under the instep ol' lhe shoc. resting upon the pedal, while memln r 5 rests easily upon the accelerator; and the driver can by slightly depressing his toe depress the member 5 and through it the accelerator.

With this construction the drivers foot will be supported by the pedal upon the standard, and he can readily control the accelerator by. more or less depressing the head 5.

The usual control spring, not shown,) of

the accelerator can be set so as to easily counterbalance the light Weight-of the head 5, and render the pedal very sensitive to action.

- To regulate the normal position of the head 5 of the pedal relative to the accelerator lever, an adjustable stop bolt 6 may be tapped through the base 1, as shown in Fig. 3, the head of this bolt, engaging the underside of the heel portion 3, limits the depression of the heel of the pedal and correspondingly limits the elevation of the prcsser head 5; so that the pedal can be adj ustcd to suit various heights of accelerator levers, or the projection of such levers above the floor of the car, and render the pedal sensitive in action upon the accelerator, and have no unnecessary lost or idle motion.

The plate 5 insulates the shoe. from the hot accelerator, and keeps the foot of the wearer cool, and at the same timc provides a substantial broad member for engagement by the foot of the driver; and the driver does not have to hold his foot in a crampcd position in order to keep full control of the accelerator.

A material advantage of the invenlion is that the drivers heel is supported on the pedal in rear of the hinge connection, and he can brace his foot solidly against the standard and by simply slightly depressing his too he can control the accelerator in the same manner as hc would if thc device were not present, but with greater certainty of operation when riding on. rough roads, and with a great dcal more comfort, as he can rock the pedal upon the standard; the heel rising as the toe descends, but not to so grcat an extent; this obviates the ncccssily of the opcrators bending the toe portion of his foot in order to depress the head 5 and accelerator. At the same time, by rcason of the peculiar connection or shape of the hccl and instep portions of the pcdal, lhc operato! can brace his foot and leg lirmly against the standard on which the pedal is pivolcd and easily control the accelerator at all times.

WVhat T claim is:

v1. An attachment for lhc purpose specified; comprising a mcmbcr adapted to be secured to the floor of an automobile adjacent the accelerator and having an upstanding portion providing a bracc l'orl'hc heel of the operator; and a pedal member having a heel portion, a shank portion and a prcsser he d; said pedal being hinged to the standard, the heel portion lying below the hinge pintle, and the presser head over the accelerator.

2. An attachment for the purpose specitied; comprising a. member adapted to be secured to the floor of the automobile adjacent the accelerator and having an upstanding portion providing a brace for the heel of the operator; and a pedal member having a heel portion, a shank portion and a presser head, the heel portion of the pedal having a depressed portion tor engagement of the heel of a Woman's shoe; said pedal being hinged to the standard, the heel portion lying below the hinge, and the presser head over the aceelerator.

An attachment for the ourpose specified; comprising a member adapted to be secured to the floor of an automobile adjacent the accelerator and having an upstanding portion providing a brace tor the heel of the I operator; a pedal member having a heel portion, a shank portion. and a presser head having a non-heat conducting cover plate on its upper side; said pedal being hinged to the standard, the heel portion lying below the hinge, and the presser head over the ae eelerator, substantially as described.

4. An attachmenttor the purpose specified; comprising a member adapted to be setion, a shank portion and a presser head,

said shank being narrower than the heel or presser head; said pedal being lunged to the standard, the heel portion lylng below the hinge, and the presser head over the accelerator.

5. An attachment for the purpose specified' comprising a member adapted to be secured to the floor of an automobile adjacent the accelerator and having an upstanding portion providing a brace for the heel of the operator; a pedal member having a heel portion, a shank portion and a presser head; the heel portion of the pedal having a flange at its rear end, and a depressed portion forengagement at the heel of a womans shoe; said head having a non-heat conducting cover plate on its upper side; and said shank being narrower than the heel or presser head; said pedal being hinged to the standard at the junction of the heel and shank portions, and the heel portion lying below the hinge pintle, and the presser head over the accelerator.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I attix my signature.

ALLEN A. WILLIAMS. 

